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Howard the Duck (Earth-791021)
, , formerly , , , , To Hack and Back Cab Company, All-Night Party, ally to Dakimh the Enchanter, Jennifer Kale, Man-Thing, Korrek the Barbarian, She-Hulk, Spider-Man | Relatives = Ronald (father), Henrietta (mother), Theresa (sister), Orville (brother), Unnamed second brother, Alexis the Duck (clonal daughter) | Universe = Earth-47920 | BaseOfOperations = Cleveland, Ohio formerly Duckhattan, New Stork City, Wackington D.C., Duckworld | Gender = Male | Height = 2'7" | Weight = 40 lbs | Eyes = Brown | Hair = No Hair | UnusualSkinColour = Yellow | UnusualFeatures = Howard's body, like those of his entire race, has similar characteristics to those of both common Earth ducks and common Earth human beings.He has hands and arms instead of wings, is covered with feathers and is unable to fly | CharRef = | Citizenship = Duckworldian | MaritalStatus = Married | Occupation = Adventurer, cab driver, reluctant warrior; former nursing home attendant, poster child for Ducktitis, baby sitter, video store clerk, burlesque show director, computer salesman, actor, dish washer, amateur wrestler, repossession man, presidential candidate, construction worker, poet, and folk singer. | Education = Four-year college degree and limited training in various martial and mystic arts | Origin = Duckworldian | PlaceOfBirth = New Stork, New Stork, Duckworld | Creators = Steve Gerber; Val Mayerik | First = Fear #19 | Quotation = Aw, clam up, bud! You don't even know the meaning of the word! Finding yourself in a world of talking hairless apes--Now that's absurdity! | QuoteSource = Fear Vol 1 19 | Speaker = Howard the Duck | HistoryText = Origin Howard the Duck was born on Duckworld, a planet in another dimension, where intelligent life evolved from waterfowl. Duckworld is apparently an alternate Earth, and resembles mankind's Earth in an astounding number of ways, including the fact that ducks speak English. As a child, he discovered an amazing potential intellect, however he was continuously bullied by other children as a result. He eventually decided to give away his studies, wasting his potential. . Further details about Howard's past on Duckworld are still unrevealed. Indeed, there are conflicting accounts as to the circumstances surrounding his disappearance. Arrival on Earth Howard vanished from his home world when the power hungry demon Thog the Nether-Spawn used his magic to cause the interdimensional Cosmic Axis to shift. Howard was dislodged from his home dimension and dropped into the middle of the Florida Everglades on our Earth at the site of this world's Nexus of All Realities, a place from which travel to all other dimensions is said to be possible. In an effort to set the Cosmic Axis right and return home, the reluctant Howard joined with Korrek the barbarian, who also came from another dimension, the young Earth-born sorceress Jennifer Kale, Dakimh the Enchanter, and the Man-Thing. The battle against Thog ended for Howard when he fell off the other-dimensional Stepping Stones of Oblivion. He landed back on our Earth in the city of Cleveland, Ohio, where he first faced the menace of Garko, the Man-Frog and Bessie, the Hellcow . Meeting Beverly Switzler In Cleveland, Howard first met the young life model Beverly Switzler when they were both menaced by the costumed criminal accountant Pro-Rata. Howard and Beverly escaped and began living together. Their relationship lasted a long time, but is now apparently over. Although Howard has attempted to live as normal a life as possible, considering that he is a talking duck on a world of human beings, he has continually run afoul, so to speak, of various unusual menaces, most notably his arch nemesis Doctor Bong. However through cleverness, persistence, and good luck, Howard has always managed to defeat or escape his adversaries. Howard came to public notoriety when he became a candidate for the United States presidency on a very minor party ticket. He was even the target of an assassination plot as someone hired Doctor Angst and his Band of the Bland to kill him. Howard defeated his would-be assassins with the help of the Defenders and they were sent to prison. As it turned out, the assassination was unnecessary as the general populace refused to believe that Howard is a real talking duck, thinking of him instead as a dwarf in a duck suit. As a result, the public dismissed his candidacy as a joke. Howard has chosen to make the world of humans his home. Dakimh the Enchanter has predicted that Howard has a major role to play in the destiny of the multiverse, and that role may still involve more adventures in Howard's future. He battled Garko the Man Frog. Return to Cleveland Howard returned to Cleveland. Howard encountered Dracula and even returns to Duckworld at one point. Spider-Man Howard worked as a taxicab driver, had driven a customer to New York all the way from Cleveland. This man, called himself Status Quo was a mild mannered librarian when the constant advent of new fads drove him into a madness. Wanting to destroy all fads, Status Quo began studying how the media and advertisers help encourage fads, and now has come to New York in order to speak to people and convert them to his anti-fad group.This eventually leads to a giant demonstration in Central Park where surprisingly, Status Quo manages to gather a large crowd and earn himself a legion of followers. These followers are armed with gimmicked fads (rocket powered skateboards, exploding frisbees etc.) and sent out to attack anyone who supports any kind of fad.The chaos brings the attention of Spider-Man who tries to quell the mob, and prevents them from spreading beyond Central Park, while Howard is chased after by some anti-fad goons who think he's trying to perpetuate a fad himself. Spider-Man eventually teams up with Howard and the two manage to expose Status Quo a hypocritical terrorist in front of live news cameras, discrediting him and causing his followers to break up. Afterwards Howard and Spidey split up, and Howard returns to his cab where he finds a police officer waiting for him to write him up on a number of traffic violations. ... ... ... ... Andy the Angel Howard was in San Francisco on Christmas Eve where he was on the Golden Gate Bridge depressed and contemplating suicide. He was stopped by an Angel called Andy. Andy decided to try and boost Howard confidence and morale; he showed to Howard how the lives of its friends would have unfolded if Howard had never came to Earth-616. He shows Howard Earth-83234. They visited his friends Paul Same, Arthur Winslow and Beverly Switzler. To Howard's and Andy horror all his friends’ lives would be better without him. Believing that he had failed, and his life was worse than Howards without his wing Andy considered suicide himself, but Howard tries to stop him. Howard realizing that after their adventure and decided to go for a drink rather than kill themselves. This act ironically won Andy his wings because after all it was a successful mission. Leaving Beverly Howard walked away from Beverly at her request. After that, he is mistaken for "Duck Drake, Private Eye", meets Ceci Ryder when hitch-hiking and battled the Gopher. He was offered a genetically constructed mate whom he does not take to known as Alexis the Duck. Howard at one point becomes Ducktor Doom. She-Hulk She-Hulk accidentally pulls him though a cosmic wormhole, and along with physicist Brent Wilcox, they prevent other universes from crowding out Earth-616.Beverly started working as a rent-a-ninja. Howard met the Critic, and travelled to the Baloneyverse, and battled Dr. Angst and his cohorts. ... Generation X In California, Chamber and Skin of Generation X hitchhike down a highway. After several cars fly pass them, one of the vehicles stops to offer the two mutants a ride. The driver of the vehicle is none other than Howard the Duck. Howard and the mutants stopped at a bar to get some drinks, and the bartender informs them that their establishment does not serve ducks. Violence ensues, and Howard is forced to rely upon his martial arts training in Quack-Fu to avoid injury. Chamber unleashed his mutant powers and begins questioning the bar patrons about someone named Tores. To everyone’s surprise, Miguela Tores is actually a sultry young woman with a green stripe tattooed across her right eye. She enters the bar and begins asking questions. While Chamber and Howard deal with Tores, Skin sneaks away from the bar. He disguises himself as an old man and goes to the cemetery to visit his own grave. There, he meets his mother and manages to console without letting on that he is in fact her son. Outside in the Bio-Sphere, Howard and his girlfriend Beverly arrive. Franklin, Artie and Leech are thrilled at the notion of having a talking duck to pal around with. Howard has no real interest in hanging out with children, but the kids drag him to their tree-house. Inside they find Tana Nile. Tana is a Rigellian who crash-landed on Earth a short while ago. Leech has been sneaking her food from the school, and thus far nobody but the children are even aware of her presence. Howard tried to find a way to get the children to safety. Black Tom raided the tree house and prepares to kill them. Howard drove Black Tom back by setting him on fire with the lit end of his cigar. As the tree house erupts into flames, Howard, Artie, Franklin, Leech and Tana Nile discover that the Man-Thing is present on the estate. Recognizing that the Man-Thing is the gateway into the dimensional rift known as the Nexus of All Realities, Howard convinces the others to dive into the creature's slimy body in the hopes of escaping. Their plan appears to work and they disappear inside the Man-Thing’s mass. Daydreamers Howard and the Daydreamers went sailing through the inter-dimensional byways of the Nexus floating on a broken chunk of Earth. No one can really understand what is happening to them and Howard begins to have a panic attack. Tana keeps his attitude in check, and reminds him that their first responsibility is to look after the children. Artie falls asleep and projects a vision of his nightmare – a vision involving a dark, menacing shadowy figure.Before long, these Daydreamers arrive in a surreal fantasy world known as Nevernever-Narnozbia. Their earthen sled lands atop a woman (who looks suspiciously a lot like the Scarlet Witch) known as the Red Witch of the Southeast, squashing her flat. A bunch of rocky little Things run out to greet the visitors expressing their happiness that the witch is finally dead. Suddenly a man in drag named Strange arrives and thanks them for saving Nevernever-Narnozbia from the threat of the witch. Franklin expresses his desire to return home and Strange uses the Eyeliner of Agamatto to direct them towards the King of the realm.Meanwhile, Howard the Duck gets separated from the group and comes upon a magic lamp. Rubbing the lamp, he summons a |green goblin-like genie who grants him three wishes. Howard wishes for a way out of this mess, and the genie provides him with a Desoto. Driving along in the antique car, he eventually meets back up with his friends – only to become prisoners of the King.The King bears a strong resemblance to Doctor Doom – an old foe of the Fantastic Four. The Daydreamers try to escape and a fight breaks out in the King's throne-room. The dark spectral figure from Artie's vision arrives and declares that he has come for Franklin Richards. The Dark Hunter attacks the Daydreamers proclaiming that he has come for Franklin Richards. The Daydreamers cannot decide which is stranger: The evil villain standing before them, Doctor Strange in drag, or the fact that the Man-Thing can suddenly carry a conversation. Leech tries to siphon away the Dark Hunter's powers, but to no effect. Franklin asks Strange if he can send them home. Strange cannot send them back to Earth, but instead uses his magic wand to send them to another realm altogether. The group arrives in a bizarre cartoon-liked reality, which appears as if it were crafted from the mind of Doctor Seuss. Weird creatures are seen walking down the streets with distended lips and large tufts of hair on their heads. Like the characters from Doctor Seuss, everyone has a penchant for speaking in rhyme. The Daydreamers stop at a local diner to collect their thoughts. The staff at the diner becomes irate with who refuses to speak in rhyme. Franklin placates the offended food servers, but ordering their meals in rhyme for them. It does little good however as the Cadence Police arrive to arrest the Daydreamers. Howard wants to start a fight with them, but [[Tana Nile (Earth-616)|Tana] convinces him that allowing them to be taken to jail might actually serve their better interests. Suddenly, Artie begins to distrust Franklin. He continues to have visions of the Dark Hunter and feels that Franklin is connected to the Hunter in an unhealthy fashion. Franklin lashes out at him, declaring that he should mind his own business.Later that night, the Dark Hunter comes for them. Tana Nile rips the bars off of their prison cell and they break free. She tries to keep the Dark Hunter at bay, but is unable to penetrate his shadowy form. Howard tries to get the Man-Thing to transport them back home, but the Man-Thing explains to him that he cannot control the power of the Nexus. Regardless, the Daydreamers dive into his slimy muck and access the Nexus of All Realities.When they exit, they find themselves on Duckworld – the planet of Howard's birth. They look around in shock and awe as they see a large bronze statue of Howard the Duck in the town square. To all accounts, Howard appears to be a hero of the people. Crowds of people begin swelling around the new arrivals, eager to welcome their hero home. In an effort to keep the excited mob at bay, Tana Nile picks up the Man-Thing] and begins swinging him about like a baseball bat. The Daydreamers duck down an alleyway and stealthily make their way towards Howard's home. Howard does not know why he is being hailed as a great hero, and he frankly doesn't care. The Man-Thing begins to lose his cohesion, and Tana has to help him along. They arrive at the house of Howard's parents, June and Ward. It is an idyllic two-story home with a perfectly manicured lawn and a white picket fence. June and Ward come out to greet the newcomers and they welcome Howard with open arms. Following a quick repast, Howard decides that he has had enough. He knows that this is not his true family and that his home life was never this perfect. As he shakes his head in denial, the imagery washes away and all is revealed to be an illusion.Meanwhile, the Man-Thing continues to fall apart. Tapping into the cosmic energies of the Nexus of All Realities has proven too taxing for his physical form and he can no longer maintain his cohesion. Before long, the Dark Hunter arrives on Duckworld and continues his pursuit of Franklin Richards. The Daydreamers leave Howard's faux household and proceed to a place known as the Richards Institute. Inside are two-dimensional cartoon versions of Franklin's parents, Reed and Susan Richards. The Dark Hunter tracks them down and they soon realize what the Hunter actually is – he is the living embodiment of Franklin Richard's repressed emotions. When the Daydreamers first interacted with the Nexus of All Realities, it reacted with Franklin's dormant mutant powers, creating a conduit into a pocket dimension inside Franklin's subconscious mind. Franklin never came to terms with the fact that his parents are gone – victims of the villain known as Onslaught. In his grief, he fabricated an imaginary, illusory world where he could effectively hide from his pain. Now having confronted his own fears in the form of the Dark Hunter, Franklin is finally ready to let go of his parents. As Franklin's pocket reality ceases to exist, the Daydreamers exit the Nexus of All Realities. They are back on Earth in the Florida Everglades, and the Man-Thing is back to his normal, inarticulate self. Back Home While Man-Thing became a self-appointed guardian to Franklin , Howard went off on his own and was captured by the Cult of Entropy. Although we last saw him in the swamp, he stated that he was thrown into baggage and transported on a plane. The cult wants him because he has part of the Nexus of All Realities, which shattered during Heroes Reborn, inside him, which he knows because it is making him nauseous. Man-Thing enters his gullet, and Howard vomits him back out with the fragment, but the former is left desiccated and practically dead. He then encountered Namor, who thought he had slain the creature, but Howard explains that he would not be lugging his friend's body if that were the case. Howard sets Man-Thing down in the water, and he revives during the conversation with Namor. Once he sees that Man-Thing is alive and well, he bid Namor farewell and told him he was returning to Cleveland. Ben Reilly He worked with Spider-Man (Ben Reilly) in a fight against the Circus of Crime, Howard and Beverly get stuck in a warehouse full of anthropomorphic ducks, briefly meeting the Savage Dragon and Destroyer Duck (Duke Duck). The group left in the belief that they have brought the correct Howard with them. Ghost Rider Jennifer Kale attempted return Howard home many times but he accused her and Doctor Strange of being responsible for bringing him to Earth-616. She accidentally teleported Devil Dinosaur and Moon Boy into her New York apartment. The disoriented dinosaur attempted to eat Howard, but spat him out when shot with Ghost Rider's Hellfire Gun, they then went on a rampage through the city before being subdued by Ghost Rider. Howard related to the pair being trapped in a world he never made, and wandered off. Santa Claus Howard gets a job as a department store Santa Claus, which got him dragged to the North Pole, where the real Santa Claus has sold out to Hydra Howard the Mouse Beverly obtained a job at a company owned by Doctor Bong who turned Howard into a Giant Mouse , but the process was unstable and he cycled through different forms before settling on the mouse again. Bong Joined with Kenneth Flogg to gain the Amulet of Pazuzu, but Howard obtained it first, gained its power and used it to slay Flogg's assistant Ian Whippingham . They next stayed at the Boarding House of Mystery joining the fellow tenant Splatter Gomorrah in exposing talk show host Iprah as a marketing franchise. However, she was possessed by the demon-angel hybrid Deuteronomy. Howard used the cigar of the Saint of Therapists, Sigmund Freud to banish Deuteronomy, however he decided to take a puff of the cigar which disintegrated him and sent him to Hell. He was saved by God himself who, grateful for him dealing with Deuteronomy, shared with Howard the Meaning of life before returning him to Earth back in Duck Form. Howard the Duck is sued a director over a movie at Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg & Holliway Civil War Howard attempted to register under the Superhuman Registration Act during the Civil War. But learned his socially disrupted life has created so many bureaucratic headaches that the government's policy is that Howard does not exist. This lack of government oversight delights him: "No more parking tickets, no taxes, no jury duty". In this story Howard says he was pressured to give up his cigars. After he defeats M.O.D.O.T.'s scheme to control the public through mass media, his attorney, Jennifer Walters, successfully restored his citizenship including all relevant responsibilities. Secret Invasion Howard was briefly seen as part of the hero army gathered to battle invading Skrull Invasion. He is seen armed with a pistol, a Skrull's hand around his neck. 50-State Initiative (A.R.M.O.R.) Later, Howard became a agent for A.R.M.O.R. He was then hired by Morbius the Living Vampire on a private mission to travel into a multiverse of different types of zombies and collect a sample of each zombie. Before he could go, he was to search for Machine Man and recruit him. Howard found Machine Man drunk and depressed for his girlfriend Jocasta went back to her former husband Ultron. Howard was able to convince Machine Man to join him on their mission. ... Fearsome Four During the Fear Itself event, Howard formed a team called the Fearsome Four with She-Hulk, Frankenstein's Monster and Nighthawk to stop the Man-Thing. Ducky Dozen Because of his experience with zombie-infested worlds and his leadership of Machine Man he was chosen as the leader of the, as he dubbed them, the Ducky Dozen. The team was comprised of himself, several lesser known heroes, Dum Dum Dugan, and Battlestar, who is also a veteran of a zombie incident in Marvel Zombies Supreme. Howard lead the team through it all and got them home, but not without grave loses. ... ... Original Sin After the death of the Watcher and the activation of the secrets buried in his eye, Howard discovered that he had the potential to be the most intelligent being in Duckworld. After evading a squirrel while driving, he was thrown flying and used his intellect to calculated his way to land to safe in a dumpster. | Powers = * Duckworldian Phyiology: Howard possesses no known superhuman or superduck powers. | Abilities = * Quak-Fu: Howard has some knowledge of the little known martial art called Quak-Fu, and hence is a surprisingly formidable opponent in hand-to-hand combat. * Mystical Training: The Sorcerer Supreme Doctor Strange has also briefly tutored Howard in the mystic ways, indicating even those of Duckworld possess magical potential. Under his mental guidance, Howard was capable of conjuring the Vapors of Valtorr, the Shield of the Seraphim, use transformation enchantments and even utilize another Eye of Agamotto and Cloak of Levitation along with his own garb for Howard the Duck, which the duck was able to command, despite his lack of Sorcerer Supreme title, though ultimately declining to study as Strange's apprentice. It was recently discovered that he had the potential to be the most intelligent being in his homeworld. | Strength = * Howard possesses the normal avian strength of a duck of his age, height, and build who engages in exercise only when he feels like it. | Equipment = * Usually seen with a stogie. | Transportation = * | Weapons = * He has a powerful weapon he called the Big Freaking Gun (BFG) possibly given to him by Morbius the Living Vampire or from A.R.M.O.R. The weapon seems to be a cannon which is able to disintegrate anything he fires at. What the weapon is really called is unknown. | Notes = * Howard the Duck featured in both Marvel swimsuit specials. * Howard the Duck had a cameo in What If? #8 * In the Marvel MAX mini-series (by Steve Gerber and Phil Winslade), Howard was turned into a giant rat. * Howard featured in Marvel Fanfare #9. * As per , Howard possesses the ability to grow whiskers out of his duck bill. * The people of his home world allegedly do not know Howard's last name, and the general populace of Earth does not believe he is really a talking duck. }} Category:Beaks Category:Avian Form Category:Magicians Category:Martial Arts Category:Actors